The Forbidden Mate

Katy

Euan had been very persuasive with Mrs Welsh, and I was now the dedicated servant to the warriors. I was a bit nervous; I normally didn’t work directly with other members of the pack. I worked behind the scenes cleaning and helping out in the kitchen.

I was also aware that however closely Euan and Daniel watched me there was an element within the warriors that were working for Carl, who were traitors, and would kill me if they knew who I really was. I needed to be careful. I needed to keep playing the weak Omega, something that was getting increasingly difficult.

The rude behaviour and put downs that I had always accepted from the higher-ranking wolves were becoming more and more difficult to suffer without answering back. This wasn’t because I had found out that I was a princess. It had been happening ever since I first shifted. My wolf wouldn’t accept people talking down to us. I was fighting a constant battle to keep her in check and not savage anyone who treated me like the Omega servant I was supposed to be. At least now I knew why she was behaving like this, but for me the adjustment from servant to royalty was proving difficult.

When I arrived at the training grounds, I saw Daniel there to meet me, a huge welcoming smile on his face.

I gave him a big hug. It has been so long since we had hung out together. He has been too busy searching for the rogues who escaped and patrolling to have time to spend with Lily and me. I am so glad that he is going to be my bodyguard, at least with him being given that role it meant that I got to spend time with one of my best friends.

“How have you been?” I ask him quietly.

“Good, it has been tiring with all the hunting of rogues and patrols, but it is never boring. How are you?” He asks. “I was surprised to hear your news, but I always knew that there was more to you than people thought.”

“It is weird” I confessed. “I can’t believe it. It isn’t me. I want to be worthy of Alex, but I don’t see how I can be the person they expect me to be. To rule over everyone.”

“It has to be difficult to understand but it is your birth-right, what you were born for. In the same way I was born to be a warrior and Alex was born to be an Alpha. It may feel strange now, but it is who you are, and even if you don’t feel it yet your wolf does” he tells me.

I know what he is saying is true, and it helps. I will eventually come to terms with who I am.

“So,” I say brightly. “In the meantime. Show me my new duties. Cleaning for the warriors, what does that entail?”

“Follow me” he says with a smile. “Unfortunately, lots of dirty and bloodied gym kit that needs washed. Stocking up the water and energy drinks supplies. At the end of the day once training has finished you will also need to clean all of the gym equipment. My brother and the Alpha haven’t given you the easiest job.”

I sigh, but give him a smile, “I was brought up as an Omega, dirty cleaning jobs are my speciality.”

…………..

It has been a long and tiring day cleaning for the warriors. I haven’t minded though. It has been good to spend time with Daniel and the majority of the warriors are fun to work for. Most of them don’t stand on ceremony, they don’t treat me as their inferior. I have spent a lot of the day laughing and joking with them. It has taken my mind off of my situation.

The only exceptions have been the warriors that Alex warned me are close to Carl. These are the wolves that we suspect hunted and tried to capture me in the forest. I wonder which one tore into my leg and tried to use his teeth to tear into my body. It makes me shiver whenever I look at them. I keep my contact with them to a minimum and play the polite and silent Omega.

Daniel is showing me where the dirty laundry is kept, there is a lot of it. Clothes stained with mud, sweat and blood from fighting and working out, towels for cleaning up. Mending to do when clothes have been ripped during a fight. I am going to be busy.

Daniel and I haven’t had any time alone yet to talk, we have been surrounded by other warriors, but he is going to show me the laundry room next, and fortunately that isn’t somewhere any of the warriors normally go.

Daniel shows me around the room, the place where the dirty clothes are stored and where the washing machines are situated. He loads some of the dirty clothing into a washing machine for me and turns it on.

“We will be able to talk without being so easily heard with this on” he tells me. “So, a princess? I always knew you were special I just hadn’t realised how special until now” he says with a smile. “A few people in the pack are going to get a shock when this eventually comes out. But don’t worry, that won’t be until you are ready, until it is safe. I will protect you until then, we all will”

“Thank you” I say to him. I am so grateful. As much as I try and hide it this new knowledge, that I am a royal princess, has me scared. I have always been so insignificant, not worthy of the attention of most of the wolves in our pack. I now had to face the fact that once they know of my existence, I would be important to so many wolves. The royal pack and their allies who would embrace me as their future queen, and worse, Lucius and the Black Moon Pack who would stop at nothing to kill me. Knowing that Alex, Euan and Daniel will protect me is keeping me calm, making me feel safe.

“Does Lily know?” he asks me.

“No,” I say sadly. “I am not supposed to tell anyone. The more people who know the more likely that my secret will be uncovered. Particularly Lily. I know that I can trust her, but because her father is Carl and he is desperate to find me, everyone thinks it is too dangerous. If she was to let something slip, if she changed the way that she treats me it might be enough to alert her father. I feel awful though. It is like I don’t trust her, and when she does find out she will be so upset.”

“She will understand. I am worried about how she will feel when she realises her father, who she adores is a traitor” Daniel tells me.

“So, you think he is definitely the traitor?” I ask him.

“Yes, I have been hanging around the warriors who are close to him and there is definitely something going on. They are angry with the pack, they make disparaging comments about the Alpha, and they are definitely planning something.”

“To do with me?” I ask.

“They have started patrolling and hunting for someone. They don’t say who, but it sounds like they are trying to capture you. There is though, another plot that they have been hatching for a while. They keep referring to it is an event, but it is more sinister than that. We think they are going to attack the pack.

Euan is discreetly trying to set up additional training sessions for the wolves he knows are loyal. At the same time, he has assigned other wolves to watch them. We don’t want to be caught off guard if they launch some kind of assault against the pack.

For a while I was one of the wolves who have been tasked with spying on them, obviously now I will be spending my time guarding you, but from what I have seen they are up to no good. You need to keep as far away from them as you can.”

I nod. I just need to keep my head down until we hear back from the royal pack. “I had never heard of Commander Joseph before, but Alex really respects him. I am scared though that he will insist that I leave Alex and I don’t think I could cope if I had to do that” I say.

“He will only do what is best for you. Joseph has been looking for you for a long time. Hoping, believing that you had survived when everyone else had given up” he tells me reassuringly.